Charles e



c.'F. HULT.

FLANGE WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2L. 1918.

1,307,128. Patented June 17, 1919.

y arr =r FLANGE-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed November 21, 1918. Serial No. 263,473.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs F. HU'LT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flange-Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements upon the inventions covered by my U. S. Patents No. 7 33,648, patented July 14, 1903, and No. 826,939, patented July 24, 1906. These patents cover certain improvements in chain wrenches and it is the object of the present invention to provide an at tachment which can be substituted for the chain, or used in conjunction therewith, to enable the wrench to beused for removing flanges of pipe fittings.

In the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments of the invention Figure l is a side'elevation showing the invention applied to a flange;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing another form of attachment;

r Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the form of attachment illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form of attachment; V

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a wrench showing the attachment constructed'for'use in conjunction With the chain;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; y

Fig, 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing another form of the attachment.

Referring to the drawings, the head of the wrench consists of two members, 9, 9, secured together by bolts 10 and provided with arc-shaped serrated jaws 11 and a suitable socket for the operating handle 12, substantially as shown in my earlier patents. A chain 13 is suspended from a pivot pin 14 in the head when the device is to be used as a chain wrench, but to adapt the device for use as a flange wrench I remove the chain and substitute therefor a hanger, preferably of one of the forms illustrated in the drawings.

In Figs. 1 and 2 this hanger consists of an arm 15 provided at its lower end with a laterally extending pin 16 and having its upper end 17 oflset and adapted to engage the pin labetween the ears 18, 18 of the head members. This construction enables the jaws of the wrench tobe engaged with the flange 19 of a pipe 20 with the hanger 15 arranged partly in front of the flange and the pin 16 engaged with one of the openings 21 of the flange, as shown in Figs. 1 and2. Thus the pull on the wrench is applied in the medial line thereof and of the flange which prevents slipping or twisting and is very important because these flanges are often bound to the pipe and considerable force is required to loosen and remove them.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the hanger is made in the form ;of a yoke having two arms 22 adapted to embrace the flange and provided with. openings 23 to receive a removable pin 23 ,which passes through the arms and the flange to connect the yoke hanger to the flange. I prefer also to provide a keeper 2% in the form of a boW fastened to the two arms 22 and made of spring or other metal to maintain the arms in proper parallel relation. This form of the attachment is pended from the pin 14 and used in the same way as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The hanger may also be in the form of two substantially parallel arms 25 provided at their lower ends with hooks 26 to engage a pin passing through the flange and having their upper ends 27 bent inwardly and bored to receive the pivot pin 14.-. These arms may be fastened together at their upper ends in any suitable manner or they may be used. separate as desired. In the foregoing adaptations of my invention it is conten'lplated that the chain will be removed from the pivot pin 14 and the hanger substituted therefor. This can easily be accomplished by removing the bolts 10 to open the two members of the head, as will be readily understood. e e r e e In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 I have shown the invention adapted to be used Without removing the chain, and, referring first to Figs. 6 and 7, 28 designates a split yoke adapted to embrace the handle 12 adjacent the head and provided with a pivot 29 for the hanger. The yoke may be made in two parts, 30, 30, and bolted together, as shown in Fig. 8, and the hanger ma be in any of the forms previously descri ed.

My invention provides a very simple and easily assembled attachment for converting a chain wrench of the type disclosed in my earlier patents into a flange wrench of simple but stron and substantial construction which can be readily applied to pipe flanges for the purpose of removing the same. It will, of course, be understood that the chain may be omitted and the device constructed for constant use as a flange wrench, if desired, or the attachment may be used in connection with the chain wrench, as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, without removing the chain which need only be swung to one side when the device is used as a flange wrench. And while I have described the invention as applied to the type of wrench disclosed in my earlier patents and as an improvement upon those patented inventions, as a preferred adaptation of the present invention, I do not Wish to have it understood that my present invention is specifically limited to use on or in connection with the particular constructions disclosed in my earlier patents, nor do I intend to limit the invention to the particular form and construction and arrangement of-parts disclosed in the drawings, but I desire to use my invention in connection with any Wrench to which it is or may be adapted and also to make all such changes therein as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. A flange wrench having a head and an operating handle, and a hanger pivotallyconnected at its upper end to the head and handle in the longitudinal medial line thereof and having a laterally projecting pin at its lower end to engage an opening of a pipe flange.

2. A flange wrench having a head and an operating handle, and ahanger offset between its ends and pivotally connected at its upper end to the head and handle in the longitudinal medial line thereof and adapted to be connected at its lower end to a pipe flange.

3. A flange wrench having a head and an operating handle, and a hanger pivotally connected at its upper end to the head and handle in the longitudinal medial line thereof and offset to one side adjacent its pivot end and adapted to be connected; at its lower end to a pipe flange,

4. Aflange wrench having a head and an operating handle, and a hanger pivotally connected at its upper end to the head and handle in the longitudinal medial line thereof and offset adjacent to its pivot end and having at its lower end a laterally projecting pin to engage an opening of a pipe flange.

5. A flange'wrenchhaving a head and an operating handle, and a hanger comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected at their upper ends to the head and handle in the longitudinal media], line thereof and having a laterally projecting pin at their lower ends to eng'agean opening of a pipe flange.

6. A flange wrench having a head and an operating handle, and ahanger comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected at their upper ends to the head and handle in the longitudinal 'medial line thereof and offset adjacent their pivot'ends in opposite directions to embrace a pipe flange, and means for connecting the lower ends of said arms to the flange.

7. A flangewrench having a head and an operating handle, a yoke on the handle, and a hanger pivotally connected at its upper end to the yoke in the longitudinal medial line of the head and handle and offset adjacent its pivot end and adapted to be connected at its lower end to a pipe flange.

8. A flange wrench comprising a handle, a

head consisting of two members arranged.

on opposite sides of the handle and.having serrated aws, means for securlng the members to'the-handle, anda hanger pivotally connected at its upper end to the head and handle in a medial line passing between the aws.

9. A flange wrench comprising a handle, a head consisting of two members arranged on opposite sides of the handle and having serrated jaws, means for securing the members to the handle, a hanger having a laterally projecting pin at its lower end to engage an opening of a pipe flange, and a pivot beneath the handle for connecting the hanger to the head and handle.

CHARLES F. HULT. Witness:

M. A. KIDDIE;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

